US is withdrawing from UNESCO because it’s anti-Israel, but Israel is still a member?

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by jazzarama

Did you want Trump to keep withdrawal a secret. The drama queens are the ones acting like this is a big deal. The UN has more than 30 of these specialized fiefdoms. I'm sure the U.S. could withdraw from most of them and nobody would know or care. The most common reaction would be what the heck was that ?

If the U.S. reduced their contribution to those bodies and/or the aliquot share from the U.N. budget that would be noticed.

[Kibby]

Originally Posted by Hesychios

US is withdrawing from UNESCO because it’s anti-Israel, but Israel is still a member?

I thought for sure that I read Israel was pulling out too. Is that not the case?

Of course it's the case - the Obama Administration was forced to withhold funding to UNESCO in 2011 because of US Laws that prohibit funding to any organization that recognizes a Palestinian State. The US didn't even vote in UNESCO on the recognition of Palestine as a State .... they abstained, which was pretty cowardly.

U.S., Israel lose voting rights at UNESCO over Palestine row | Reuters -November 8, 2013

PARIS (Reuters) - UNESCO has suspended the voting rights of the United States and Israel, two years after both countries stopped paying dues to the U.N.’s cultural arm in protest over its granting full membership to the Palestinians.

The U.S. decision to cancel its funding in October 2011 was blamed on U.S. laws that prohibit funding to any U.N. agency that implies recognition of the Palestinians’ demands for their own state.

Israel AND the United States quit paying dues in 2011, lost their "voting rights" after 2 years of not paying dues in 2013 and they are BOTH in preparations for Withdrawal from UNESCO - which won't actually take effect until the end of 2018. The UN has all kinds of "rules" on how to stop paying dues, how to withdraw and a variety of "deadlines". Israel has also been withholding funds from the UN General Fund for some recent actions.

Both the Times of Israel and the Jerusalem Post are clear that Israel is withdrawing from UNESCO "in parallel" (that means together & at the same time). Politics in Israel are every bit as contentious and divisive as they are in the USA - the major difference is that Israelis stand to together on their National Security - and that is not the case in the USA. Absolutely nothing (even National Security) comes above Political Ideology in the USA.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT PRAISE US DEPARTURE FROM UNESCO |JPost - October 12, 2017

Almost immediately after the US announced its withdrawal, Netanyahu instructed the Foreign Ministry to follow suit.

One diplomatic source explained the rather peculiar wording of the PMO statement that the premier had directed the the Foreign Ministry to prepare for the withdrawal from the organization in parallel with the US as a way to retain some wiggle room in case a new leader which the organization is in the process of selecting will change the direction of UNESCO and the US will decide to remain a full member.

The source underlined that the US decision does not come into effect until the end of December 2018, meaning there is ample time for the organization to change direction

Anyone who actually believes that President Trump and PM Netanyahu had not discussed this withdrawal from UNESCO prior to the announcement ..... is riding Unicorns and Jumping over Rainbows.

Our relationship with Israel is very close at this time - no question that they knew about the UNESCO withdrawal and planned accordingly - which means "withdraw from UNESCO together".